Pakistan PM defends president at Supreme Court

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani waves upon his arrival at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Pakistan's prime minister has made a rare appearance before the Supreme Court in attempt to avoid being held in contempt for refusing to reopen an old corruption case against the president. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
— AP

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani waves upon his arrival at the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Pakistan's prime minister has made a rare appearance before the Supreme Court in attempt to avoid being held in contempt for refusing to reopen an old corruption case against the president. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
/ AP

Supporters of Pakistan's ruling People's Party chant slogans outside the Supreme court where Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under a court order in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's top court scored a victory against the beleaguered government Thursday, when the lawyer for the country's prime minister agreed to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from prosecution on a past corruption case. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)— AP

Supporters of Pakistan's ruling People's Party chant slogans outside the Supreme court where Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under a court order in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's top court scored a victory against the beleaguered government Thursday, when the lawyer for the country's prime minister agreed to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from prosecution on a past corruption case. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
/ AP

Police cordon off the Supreme court building where Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under a court order in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's top court scored a victory against the beleaguered government Thursday, when the lawyer for the country's prime minister agreed to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from prosecution on a past corruption case. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)— AP

Police cordon off the Supreme court building where Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under a court order in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's top court scored a victory against the beleaguered government Thursday, when the lawyer for the country's prime minister agreed to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from prosecution on a past corruption case. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
/ AP

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani waves as he leaves the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's top court scored a victory against the beleaguered government Thursday, when the lawyer for the country's prime minister agreed to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from prosecution on a past corruption case. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)— AP

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani waves as he leaves the Supreme Court in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's top court scored a victory against the beleaguered government Thursday, when the lawyer for the country's prime minister agreed to debate whether the president enjoys immunity from prosecution on a past corruption case. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
/ AP

Anti-government lawyers chant slogans outside the Supreme Court where Pakistan's Prime Minister Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under the court order in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's prime minister has made a rare appearance before the Supreme Court in attempt to avoid being held in contempt for refusing to reopen an old corruption case against the president. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)— AP

Anti-government lawyers chant slogans outside the Supreme Court where Pakistan's Prime Minister Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under the court order in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan 19, 2012. Pakistan's prime minister has made a rare appearance before the Supreme Court in attempt to avoid being held in contempt for refusing to reopen an old corruption case against the president. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
/ AP

Pakistani lawyers, who support Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudary, chant slogans against the government outside the Supreme Court, where Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under the court order, in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Pakistan's prime minister has made a rare appearance before the Supreme Court in attempt to avoid being held in contempt for refusing to reopen an old corruption case against the president. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)— AP

Pakistani lawyers, who support Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudary, chant slogans against the government outside the Supreme Court, where Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared under the court order, in Islamabad, Pakistan on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Pakistan's prime minister has made a rare appearance before the Supreme Court in attempt to avoid being held in contempt for refusing to reopen an old corruption case against the president. (AP Photo.B.K.Bangash)
/ AP

ISLAMABAD 
Pakistan's prime minister has struck a conciliatory tone in an appearance before the Supreme Court, trying to cool down a political and legal crisis destabilizing the nuclear-armed country.

The unusual appearance by a head of government before a high court on Thursday was the latest move in a high-stakes struggle between the civilian regime, the judges and Pakistan's powerful army generals, who have seized power three times since 1947.

At stake is the future of Pakistan's leadership and its ties to the U.S. Relations between the two countries have been strained since last May's unilateral U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Pakistan's elected government is locked in bitter conflict with the army over a secret memo asking for Washington's help in curtailing the power of the generals after the bin Laden raid. The army was outraged by the memo, allegedly sent by the government, and pushed the Supreme Court to set up a commission to investigate. The government insists it did not send the memo.

On Thursday the Supreme Court stepped into another part of the struggle, a decade-old Swiss corruption case involving President Asif Ali Zardari. Some believe the military is maneuvering the court to depose Zardari and his government, while others point to bad blood between the president and the court's chief justice.

Against that complicated and tense background, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani agreed to honor a summons to appear before the court to answer charges he was ignoring the judiciary.

The court wants government prosecutors to formally ask Swiss authorities to reopen a shelved graft probe against Zardari, who was found guilty in absentia in a Swiss court in 2003 of laundering millions of dollars in kickbacks from Swiss companies. Zardari appealed, but in 2009 Swiss prosecutors dropped the case after a request from the Pakistani government.

Gilani insisted that Zardari is immune from prosecution. Judges didn't immediately accept that, but they adjourned for two weeks to hear more arguments in the case.

For two years, the government has been refusing orders to reopen the decade-old corruption case against Zardari, infuriating the judiciary. Zardari loyalists have long claimed that the court wants to get the president out of office, regardless of the law.

"It is my conviction that he (Zardari) has complete immunity inside and outside (the) country," Gilani said in a 10-minute speech that was laced with humility. "I have no intention of ridiculing the court. We have the highest regard for the court."

Later, Gilani's lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, offered a concession to the court, agreeing to argue the issue of the president's immunity when the hearing resumes on Feb. 1. The government previously insisted presidential immunity was a right, and therefore didn't need to be debated in court.

"I will bow to the court order and will also speak on immunity to satisfy the court that the president has complete immunity," Ahsan told reporters.

Security was especially tight during the court session, which was also attended by several of Gilani's ministers and coalition partners. Police lined the roads in front of the Supreme Court, and two helicopters hovered over the building during the hearing.